Pseudo-Interference in a Single Slit Experiment with Classical Bodies

This is also an old idea of mine, namely, that we should make sure that the interference fringes of the dougle slit experiment are not in fact produced by the particles that ricochet on the slit walls (in which case they would be “reflected images” of the slit walls on the screen). Lately I was able to implement this idea in an Ejs simulation. You can see it here.

The following is an excerpt from the text of the presentation.

The double-slit experiment with particles was one of the most important in the development of modern physics, since it proved the wave-particle duality theory. However, when you have such a critical experiment that opens the door to completely new non-classical conceptions, I think it is wise, before your reach any conclusions, to repeat the experiment with classical bodies so that you know which is your “base line”. In this way, you will be able to see clearly any departure from what classical theory predicts, and you will know which “component” is due to non-classical phenomena. This is analogous to the control conditions in a controlled scientific experiment.

Am I proposing that there is no wave-particle duality? Not exactly. I am proposing that there should be a double-slit experiment with classical bodies that will allow us to study pseudo-interference so that we will know what to expect. And then a double-slit experiment with particles that will take into account pseudo-interference and will “subtract” it from the screen pattern, so that we can see what remains. We may very well see a legitimate genuine interference pattern, but until these experiments are performed I would say that we may be on shaky ground.

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